Figures issued by the CSO today show that overseas visitor numbers to Ireland increased by 11% for the December 2013 to February 2014 period.
Welcoming the figures, Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said that he is "delighted to see an increase in overseas visitor numbers".
"I particularly welcome the growth of 14% from Britain for that three-month period. Today’s figures represent a very positive start to 2014, as we roll out our promotional programme around the world," said Gibbons.
“Our promotions received a tremendous boost earlier this month, with our Global Greening initiative for St Patrick’s Day – which was even bigger and better than ever before, truly capturing the imagination of people everywhere," he said.
Trips from mainland Europe up by 3.5%, North America up by 16.7% and visits from the rest of the world increased by 20.6%.
Overall, 1.3 million people visited Ireland in the three months since December.
Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar said that figures "suggest that the positive momentum generated by The Gathering in 2013 is being maintained into 2014."
“Of course, next week sees the reduction in the air travel tax to zero coming into effect. This initiative has already resulted in a number of carriers adding new routes into Ireland and will also help in terms of our competitiveness as a tourist destination.”
